MANY SECURITY MANAGERS are responsible for the safety as well as
the security of their sites. If you currently do not have safety
responsibilities, you should take them on if the opportunity arises.
The additional responsibility not only enhances your career but also
provides increased job security.

Assuming safety responsibilities requires that you be familiar with
a variety of issues, including fire prevention, machine protection, and
hazardous chemicals. Workplace safety regulations are overwhelming.
Specific regulations include the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration's CFR 29 and state right-to-know and fire
regulations.

In addition to regulations, you should follow standards such as
those provided by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Although standards are not law, your facility's safety program will
be compared to them should an accident occur and civil litigation ensue.

To keep abreast of ever-changing safety and fire protection
regulations, standards, and equipment, you should take advantage of the
many educational resources available.

ASSE offers professional safety workshops, conferences, and
training sessions nationwide as well as an assortment of safety-related
books and a monthly magazine, Professional Safety. Other educational
opportunities are available through local chapters, which offer luncheon
meeting speakers, seminars, and workshops.

NFPA offers training seminars covering its own nationally
recognized codes, which are the national fire protection standard. NFPA
also provides some of the best publications on the market, including
handbooks on specific NFPA codes. Also available are training packets
for industrial and commercial fire departments and video and slide
training packets covering general, industrial, and home fire safety.

International Fire Service Training Association Oklahoma State
University Stillwater, OK 74078-0118

IFSTA offers handbooks, slides, viewgraphs, and videos on fire
fighting and fire prevention. Its publications, such as Essentials of
Fire Fighting, have been adopted as standard training texts for national
fire fighter certification and are endorsed by NFPA.

The OSHA Training Institute provides free one- and two-week
training programs for both private industry and government agencies.
There is no better place to learn about OSHA CFR 29 than from the
source. In addition, a variety of free handbooks and study guides are
available, and audiovisual aids can be borrowed through OSHA's
regional offices.

Whether you are a seasoned security and safety administrator or
have recently been handed new responsibilities, these sources of fire
and safety education can help you establish a program and stay abreast
of the latest changes. By taking advantage of these educational
resources, you can ensure you have the knowledge needed to perform
professionally.

Daniel J. Benny, CPP, MA, is director of public safety for
Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA, and an intelligence officer
with the US Naval Reserve. He is a member of ASIS.

COPYRIGHT 1990 American Society for Industrial Security
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.